Cortisol is known as “the stress hormone” since there is a clear link between the body’s cortisol levels and the mind’s stress levels. Excess cortisol has also been linked with several other undesirable conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to cancer. Dave Hartshorne, Managing Director of Simply Canna shares some of his tips for keeping stress under control.
Sleep tight
Sleep really can make or break a person’s health, both mental and physical. When it comes to dealing with stress, one of the biggest issues is that it’s very easy to slip into a vicious circle. You’re stressed so you can’t sleep so you start the next day feeling even worse.
Ideally, you will have a bedtime routine to unwind and promote sleep. You will also have your bedroom set up to maximize your chance of getting quality sleep. In particular, make sure that you have light-proofing and sound-proofing. If this isn’t enough, however, then you may have to give your body and mind a bit of help.
Depending on your stress level, prompting your body towards sleep may mean anything from a warm bath to herbal sleeping pills to CBD treatment. There are lots of ways you can take CBD. If you’re looking to treat insomnia, CBD edibles and vaping CBD eliquid are generally the most practical options.
Exercise effectively
An effective exercise session will stimulate adrenaline, not cortisol. If, however, you push yourself too hard, then you may end up triggering stress. Listen to your body and respect your limits.
If you know you are prone to experiencing stress (or depression or anxiety), you may want to avoid high-intensity exercises altogether. Instead, look for exercises which are gentle on both body and mind, especially ones with repetitive movements such as swimming.
You might also want to investigate options for exercising outdoors so that you get the benefit of fresh air, sunlight, and a general change of scenery. These can all be pleasantly stimulating and help to distract you from negative thoughts.
Trick your mind
Even when you know something’s a trick and you know exactly how it works; it can still work. When it comes to dealing with stress, trickery can be a powerful weapon, especially in winter. This is a time when the careful use of artificial lights can help deal with the effects of limited sunlight.
Try investing in a “sunrise” alarm clock. These work by increasing the level of light over a chosen period to stimulate the effect of a sunrise. The idea is that this will gently guide your body (and mind) towards wakefulness before the alarm sounds. SAD lamps are another option. These give off the same beneficial rays as sunlight (but not the harmful ones).
CBD can be useful all year round and you don’t just have to keep it for bedtime. You may want to consider using it when you know you’re going to have to deal with a stressful situation. It can also be helpful when you feel your stress levels rising and want an effective way to calm down quickly.
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